Frame structures for center post mounted illuminatable signs



June 14, 1960 E. REssEi. 2,940,198

FRAME ST CTURES F CENTER POST MOUNT ILLUMIN BLE SIGNS Filed Oct. 16, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l l l A fron/V556 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 14, 1960 E. REssEL FRAME STRUCTURES RoR CENTER PoST MOUNTED ILLUMTNATABLE SIGNS Filed Oct. 16, 1958 United States Patent M FRAME STRUCTURES FOR CENTER POST MOUNTED ILLUMINA'IABLE SIGNS Edward Ressel, South Milwaukee, Wis., assgnor to Everbrite Electric Signs Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed oct. 16, 195s, ser. N6.167,631

2 Claims. (ci. to- 130) This invention relates to improvements in frame structures for center post mounted illuminatable signs.

Electric display signs are customarily very bulky and relatively thick and include a wide frame member. Illuminatable display signs of this type are arranged for elevated mounting on a building, or on a center post. With respect to the conventional display signs having bulky wide frames, no problem is involved in the mounting of the same on center posts because the sign drum frame is of suflicient width to be formed with .an opening to directly receive the upper end of the vertical supporting post. Recently, however, there have been developed illuminatable display signs of relatively narrow, compact formation wherein the drum frames of narrow structural steel elements are too narrow to receive the upper end portion of a supporting post should it be desired to mount such a display sign on a center post.

This problem was overcome, however, in the K. W. Richter Patent No. 2,791,851 of M-ay 14, 1957, wherein the illuminatable display sign having a relatively narrow frame is carried between the upright arms of a stirrup which is centrally mounted on the vertical supporting post, thus providing la satisfactory center post mounting for a relatively narrow display sign frame.

With respect to illuminatable display signs, however, it is necessary that the same be susceptible of being serviced, and in particular, the frame carried translucent facings must be susceptible of displacement or removal to permit cleaning thereof and to give access to the interior of the sign frame for replacement of the lighting tubes, ballasts and other electrical appurtenances. The center post mounted sign disclosed in said Patent No. 2,791,851, because of the rigid connections between the ends of the frame `and the stirrup, renders it dillicult to disassemble any portions of the sign frame and displace or remove a facing so as to permit access to the interior of the iframe for convenient servicing.

With the foregoing in mind it is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a frame structure for a center post mounted illuminatable sign wherein the sign frame is carried by the upright arms of a post mounted stirrup, but which is arranged so that end elements of the sign frame and the stirrup may be hingedly swung away from their normal positions to Vfree the end portions of the sign facings and permit ready displacement thereof for access to lthe interior of the sign frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide a center post mounted illuminatable sign arranged so that the sign, in Vits mounted condition, may have a facing thereof readily manually displaced or removed to afford access to the interior of the sign frame, without any major disassembly operations or disturbing the sign mounting.

A further object of the invention is to provide a center post mounting for a narrow framed illuminatable display sign which is of unique and attractive appearance,

and which in no manner interferes with the exposed surfaces or facings of the sign.

2,940,198 Patented June 14,v 1960 ICC A further object of the invention is to provide a frame structure for a center post mounted illumiuatable sign which is of very simple construction, which is relatively inexpensive, which is easy to assemble and mount, which provides ready access to the interior of the frame for servicing, and which is well adapted for the purposes described.

In the accompanying drawings in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of ythe improved center post mounted illuminatable sign frame structure with one end portion of the sign frame and supporting stirrup being hingedly swung to releasing poistions to permit sliding displacement of a yfacing of the sign for access to the interior thereof;

Fig. 2 is a front View of the center post mounted sign frame structure, on a larger scale, yand with a portion of a facing broken away to show the interior of the frame and with portions of the Iframe supporting stirrup broken away and in section;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary View of an end portion of the sign frame and supporting stirrup with a front facing removed and with portions of the frame and stirrup broken away and in section to show structural details; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will appear that a relatively thin frame illuminatable display sign is indicated generally by the numeral 3. The

same includes an open rectangular frame of relatively heavy channel iron members 9 which are secured together to form a rectangular enclosure and which frame remains stationary and has secured within its end elements vertical supports 1t) for mounting the end portions of conventional illuminating lamps or tubes 11. Also mounted on the lowermost horizontal element of the frame 9, within the outline thereof, are ballasts 12. v As will best be seen from Figs. 1, 2 and 3, one end of the rectangular frame composed of the channel iron members 9, as for instance, the right-hand end in the drawings, is susceptible of being opened. For that purpose the right-hand channel iron member of the frame, designated 9 has curved end extents 9a and 9b, proportioned, together with the intermediate portion of the member 9 therebetween, so that when said element 9 is in its frame closing position as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the curved portion 9a will extend around the lower right-hand corner of the frame (relative to the drawings), with the major extent 'of the element 9 traversing the right-hand end of the frame. The portion 9b then extends around the upper right-hand corner of the frame. The free end of the portion 9a of the element 9 is hinged to the adjacent end of the bottom frame element 9, as at 13. The free end portion of the curved extent 9b `of the swingable frame element 9 has an aperture therein to register with an aperture in an underlapping flange on the adjacent end of the top element 9 to which it is removably secured by bolt and nut means 14.

The open rectangular frame formed of the members 9 and 9 is adapted to carry on one or both of its faces a transluscent facing sheet 15 which displays lettering or advertising indicia made visible through the illumination of the lamps or tubes 11 within the sign frame.4 As is shown best in Fig. 4, the peripheral portions of the facing sheets 1S are flanged inwardlyand outwardly so as to slidably engage within the channeled portions of the frame elements 9 and 9. When the end frame element 9is released by removing the bolt and 'nut securing means 14 and swung outwardly dowuwardly'on its hinge 13 to the position of Fig. 1,A the end ofthe sign frame will be opened and one or both of the facing Y' l frame element 9'..

' elements includingy the tubes and ballasts, and for' cleaning'ith'esurfaces of the sign facings.V p

The Vimproved thin frame illuminatable display sign is` primarily adapted for mounting on a vertical post which may have its lower` end imbedded in the ground or other basematerial (not shown). The upper end of'said post 16 has weldedgor otherwise afxed thereto a plate 17. A U-sha'ped frame supporting bracket or stirrup is indicated generally bythe numeral 18 and the lower `surface of the same, intermediate its sides', has welded rlotherwise secured thereto a complementary plate i9V adapted to seat on the post carriedrplate 17 and to'vbe secured thereto by bolts Ztlf YThe spread between the vertical side arms of theV U-shaped bracket or stirrup 18 is slightly greater than the length 'of the sign frameto be received therebetween, inthe mannershownin Figs-1 and 2. One of the vertical arms of the stirrup 13, as the arm ld, has its upperV end portion terminating midway between the upper Vand lower margins ofthe sign frame and it is removably secured to the frame element 9 by bolt and nut means 21. The othervertical `sidek arm i815 of the stirrup 18 has an angular lower end portion to extend around the elementV 9a of the frame member 9 and is hinged to the adjacent end 'ofthe bottom member of the stirrup-1%, as at 22. The free end of the-vertical extent of the stirrup arm 18b terminates midway -between the upper and lower margins of theframe element 9' and is provided with aV verticalY U-s'hapedslotl therein which, when the stirrup arm 181i its .normal upright position; engages the Vshank portioniof a-bolt`24 rocliingly carried by Vand proectin'J outwardl f from anV intermediate ortion of the e l Securement of the hinged stirrup armV c' 2,940,198 o, Y j 'jf-- ,r

i simple manuall operation is required to hingedly displace i sheets be longitudinally slid from the normal I y position of Fig. l2 to a partially open position as in Fig. 1,

the stirrup'arm 18b and the'frame element 9 to permit sliding movement of a facing for access to the interior of the sign frame. I

The frame structure, besides Ybeing simple and affording great accessibility,V is welladapted for` the purposes set forth. j Y

What is claimed as the invention is: t

1. An illuminatable display'signY assemblage comprising an upright Ysupporting post, a iirst L-shaped stirrup element including an upright arm portion and a right angularly-directed base arm portion, theV latter portion being secured to the upper end portion of thepost, a complementary second -L-shaped stirrup element including a base arm portion and an upright arm portion, an end portion of the "base arm portionY ofsaid second L-shapedl stirrupelement being hingedly connected to the adjacent end portion of the base arm portion of the first stirrup element to form a continuation of the base arm portion thereof and to normally project the upright arm portion of the complementary second stirrup element into parallelism with the upright arm portion of the first stirrup element, said complementary second stirrup element being swingableV outwardly downwardly, a rectangular display ysign frame formed of a plurality of elongated elements including a U-shaped Velement forming one end of theV vframe and portions of two adjacent 4sides thereof, an end of said U-shaped element being hingedly connected to an adjacent end portion of a side hinged, second L-.shaped element of the stirrup, other lbto the frame element'9' is accomplished by engaging 23, the stirrup arm 8b may be-swu'ng from its normalV position to the Iopen position shown in Fig. l whichj stirrupY element including an end arm portion and a thereby permits downward swinging of the sign frame f.

element 9', when it is released, to permit displacement or withdrawal of the sign facing 15."

The Vpost and stirrup arrangement provides a very eicient yform of mounting for a narrow frame illuminatable sign. The sign frame is, of course, securely bolted to thebottom element of the stirrup 1S by the bolts 26 and there is additional securement bvtween the frame element-9 and the stirrup arm 28a, and normally between the frame element 9 and the stirrup arm i312. The securing members do permit, whenV necessary for replacement, the ready detachment of the entire sign from thepost and stirrup mounting.

TheV particular improvement in the present construction resides in the hinged arrangement of the frame element 9' and the stirrup arm 13b so that when servicing Y'mounted illur'm'natable sign is neat and attractive in appearanceandperrnitsrthe frame to be mountedin a manner so that-the sign facings vare in no manner covered or.inter'feredfwith, vand forservicing `operations'only -a right angularly-directed base arm portion, a complementary second L-shaped stirrup element j including a Ibase arm portion and an end arm portion, 'an end portion 'of the base arm portion of said second L-shaped stirrup element being hingedly connected to the adjacent end portion of the base arm .portion of the first stirrup element to form a continuation of the base arm portion thereof and to normally project the end `arm portion of the complementary second stirrup element into parallelism with the end arm portion of the rst stirrup element,`

said complementary second stirrup element being swingable outwardly, and aV rectangular. display sign yframe formed of a plurality of elongated elements including a U-shaped element forming one end of the' frame and portions of two adjacent sides thereof, an end of said U-shaped element being hingedly connected to an adjacent end portion of a side of the frame and being overlapped by portions of the hinged, second L-shaped element of the stirrup, other portions of the stirrup overlapping other poitions of the frame, the hinged, L-shaped, second element of the stirrup being displaceable to permit displacement of the U-shaped element of the display sign frame to open a peripheral portion of the frame.

. References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED ySTATES PATENTS 218,882 Hopkins Aug. 26, 1879 `1,419,598 Zelazo lune 13, 1922 11,650,177 Arnold Nov. 22', 1927 2,626,473 Howenstine f-Jan. 27, 1953 Richter L May 14, 1957 

